'A sham': Florida's longtime conservation experts question pricey 4-acre Destin purchase
The day after Florida’s governor convened with top officials to vote on a slate of land deals, the state’s environmental agency issued a celebratory news release:
“Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Cabinet Approve $167 Million to Protect More Than 20,000 Acres of Conservation Lands,” the headline read.
Not mentioned in the Oct. 1 release is that nearly half of that $167 million will be spent on a 4-acre waterfront property in the Panhandle making up just 0.02% of the total land acquired.
Since the purchase of the Destin land for $83.3 million was approved with little public discussion by DeSantis and the Cabinet, questions persist. Over objections from Florida’s chief financial officer, the state is buying the land from Pointe Mezzanine LLC and Pointe Resort LLC, both of which are registered in state business filings to Robert Guidry, a Louisiana business owner and campaign donor to local and state politicians — including to at least two officials who voted to buy his land.
Guidry’s companies had purchased the property less than 10 years ago for under $8 million.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2025/10/10/sham-floridas-longtime-conservation-experts-question-pricey-4-acre-destin-purchase/